Heat treatable nickel-beryllium alloys



Nov. 24, 1936. w. HESSENBRUCH HEAT TREATABLE NICKEL BERYLLIUM ALLOYS Filed March 23, 1 935 0 00 Mmw QUENCHED FROM woo EACH TEMP 500 ERED 4 HOURS 500 EACH TE'MPERED 4-HOURS 3 0 350 QUENCHED FROM IO0O wwmm wwwz $2: 5255 300 350 400 450 50o" 550 eusncasn FROM |000 zecu TEHPERED 4mm INVENTO'R Myrna/v MM T x-n-omums' Patented Nov. 24, 1936 2,062,130

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,062,130 HEAT TREATABLE NIGKEL-BERYLLIUM ALLOYS Werner Hessenbruch, Hanau-on-the-Main, Germany, assignor to Heraens-Vacuumschmelze,

A. G., Hanau-on-the-Main, Germany Application March 23, 1935, Serial No. 12,586

. In Germany March 24, 1934 3 Claims. (01. 75-170) This invention relates to nickel-beryllium alquenching. Figure 2 shows the Brinell hardness loys for springs and the like. It is known that of a 3% titanium alloy as dependent on the annickel-beryllium alloys have been produced with nealing temperature after quenching from 1000 a beryllium content of about 2/2%, which per- C. It is demonstrated here that by the titanium 5 mits improvement in hardness and in m'echanicontent a subsequent hardening by segregation 5 cal properties by heat treatment of about 1000 C., has been obtained, but that at higher temperafollowing quenching and reheating between 300- tures a quick softening will take place. 500 C. Similar to copper-beryllium alloys, However, as shown in Figure 3. the heat treatnickel-beryllium alloys have found use for the ment curve of an alloy with 3% titanium and 1% l0 manufacture of various springs. It has been beryllium clearly shows that a very considerable found to be particularly difficult to obtain a maxincrease in hardness can be obtained by quenchimum of hardness for thin springs or thin needles ing, followed by annealing at about 400-500" C., of beryllium-nickel alloys. The reason for this which greatly surpasses the hardness of both is the fact that it is very difiicult to heat treat binary alloys and which remains intact even if these small sections and the danger of over heat the alloys are annealed for many hours. 15 treatment exists, i. e., that the material gets soft These alloys have, in addition to their greater again. constancy, the advantage that low beryllium con- It has been found now that a greater persisttent produces strong and stable heat treatment ency of the maximum hardness produced by heat effects, so that the use of these alloys in contratreatment can be obtained if one part of the distinction to binary nickel-beryllium-alloys con- 20 beryllium content is replaced by other elements, stitutes technical progress. This is true especialor that other elements are added to the alloy. It ly for all cases where these alloys are used for is known that with additions of any kind to a springs, for spring parts, or appliances, or for heat treatable alloy the limit of solubility of the springy needles of all kinds.

mixed crystal containing beryllium can be shifted In case a resistance against corrosion or against 25 upward or downward. It has not been known, the effect of higher temperatures exceeding the however, so far, that through such additions the natural properties of these alloys is needed, then stability of the maximum hardness produced by to such alloys can be added chromium in quantiheat treatment of beryllium-nickel alloyscan be ties of substantially above a trace (about 0.5%)

so greatly increased, and that the danger of softento about When using titanium, the intendn ing by over heat treating can be reduced. ed effect can be obtained by additions from about Careful experiments have shown that such ele- 5% up to 10%.

ments have produced such greater stability I claim:

through heattreatment which formed such heat 1. A nickel base alloy containing beryllium from treatable alloys with nickel, though a number of a substantial amount above a trace to less than 35 other elements will act in the same way though 2.5%, and titanium from about 5% to about they, themselves, will not form heat treatable 10%, said alloy being characterized by capacity alloys with nickel. to harden by heat treatment to increasing degrees In this case special additions of titanium has of hardness in accordance with the temperature been found to be very useful. Through combina of heat treatment, and further being character- 40 tion of this element with beryllium-nickel alloys ized by capacity to maintain hardness imparted it is possibe to obtain results. which far exceed the by heat treatment even when heat treated for an effect of the beryllium and the other additions extended period of time.

alone. For instance, these conditions exist with 2. An alloy composed of 1% beryllium, 3% 5 respect to a nickel-titanium-beryllium alloy. titanium and the balance nickel. Figure 1 shows the hardness of an alloy of nickel 3. An alloy composed of beryllium from a subwith 1% beryllium after quenching from about stantial amount above a trace to less than 2.5%, 1000 C. in water and annealing at various temtitanium from about .5% to about 10%, and the peratures. As one sees from the curve, nickelbalance nickel.

beryllium alloys, with 1% beryllium, show hardly WERNER HESSENBRUCH. 50

any effect to heat treatment by annealing and 

